Even more new comedy from the BBC tonight in Boomers which hits BBC 1 at 9pm. The comedy follows the ups and downs of three newly retired couples living in the Norfolk resort of Thurnemouth. It boasts an all star cast including Russ Abbot, Stephanie Beacham, Philip Jackson, James Smith, Alison Steadman, June Whitfield and Paula Wilcox.
While you might not think you're the target audience for this I recommend watching Boomers anyway. Firstly, if you tune in it'll bump up the ratings which means the BBC will be more inclined give more attention to new comedy which is always a good thing. Secondly I can imagine this being an eye opener for fans of the sitcoms of yesteryear, I'm thinking about Terry & June and The Good Life here. In a way, Boomers acts as a sort of sequel to those by showing you where the couples that were represented in those old sitcoms may have ended up.
We have Alan and Joyce played by Phillip Jackson and Alison Steadman who are clearly an older version of Beverly and Laurence Moss from Abigail's Party. Alan is wanting to slow down in life but is finding it hard to keep up with Joyce's ever increasing social life. There's also John and Maureen who are living like 60 is the new 40 are are experimenting in the bedroom, living reminders of where Tom and Barbara might have ended up.
And finally there's Trevor and Carol who've got non-communication down to such a fine art that if Trevor spent a weekend away, Carol might not even notice. Thirty years of living in each other's pockets has shown the benefits and drawbacks of staying friends over the decades. There's than a whiff of Basil and Sybil Fawlty about the pair of them.
So tune in and give it a look, it might just surprise you.
